Red October or chilly November...

[Always a Sapper]

Seems old Putin's not playing cricket sending subs out to play in the back yard before the new P-8A's arrive...

Russian nuclear subs flood British waters sparking major Navy hunt | UK | News | Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/732188/Russian-nuclear-subs-flood-British-waters-sparking-major-Navy-hunt)

[unmanned_droid]

One Ping Only.

Seems old Putin's not playing cricket sending subs out to play in the back yard before the new P-8A's arrive...

Russian nuclear subs flood British waters sparking major Navy hunt | UK | News | Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/732188/Russian-nuclear-subs-flood-British-waters-sparking-major-Navy-hunt)

[TURIN]

Source?

The Daily Express, the same piece of garbage that brought us this...
Chemtrails 'will wipe out humans' causing biblical-style floods | Weird | News | Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/731823/Chemtrails-will-wipe-out-humans-causing-biblical-style-floods)

[chopper2004]

Seems old Putin's not playing cricket sending subs out to play in the back yard before the new P-8A's arrive...

Russian nuclear subs flood British waters sparking major Navy hunt | UK | News | Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/732188/Russian-nuclear-subs-flood-British-waters-sparking-major-Navy-hunt)
Hope their sub(s) are not flooded, they do not want a repeat of the Kursk accident :)

cheers

[sharpend]

Well, that is a great opportunity for our Nimrod sub hunters to get to work. Oooops, I forgot, we have no maritime capability in the RAF. That is difficult to understand given that we are a maritime nation.

[Martin the Martian]

I'm still trying to work out how water can be flooded by something else.:confused:

[PDR1]

I'm still trying to work out how water can be flooded by something else.:confused:

Well perhaps in the [ceasar] salad days of the empire:

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.


So Shakespeare suggests that if you don't flood the tide with money it will end in tears, and:

On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves
Or lose our ventures.

He also suggests that as a result we'll have to sell off the ATC motor-glider fleet.

Seemples...

PDR

[Melchett01]

Still, not to worry. It's probably not true, and even if it is true the Russians can't do much. Oh hang on, erm, yes well I'm sure they can't all sail from the Artic the long way round into the Med and then fire a handful of cruise missiles.

But even if they could we've got MPA to track .... Erm. Well, still, the surface fleet is in good nick I hear .... Erm

Royal Navy to lose missiles and be left only with guns (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/15/royal-navy-to-lose-anti-ship-missiles-and-be-left-only-with-guns/)

This is just getting embarrassing. Having comprehensively decimated and defenestrated the Navy, spokesperson said:

"All Royal Navy ships carry a range of offensive and defensive weapons systems. Backed by a rising defence budget and a £178 billion equipment plan, upgrade options to all our weapons are kept under constant review.”

To which I would ask 3 questions:

1. Do you think we really believe you?
2. Do you really believe yourself?
3. Are you embarrassed by what you have to do in your job?

[msbbarratt]

Well, that is a great opportunity for our Nimrod sub hunters to get to work. Oooops, I forgot, we have no maritime capability in the RAF. That is difficult to understand given that we are a maritime nation. The RN's SSNs are another way of getting to grips with other submarines. They can stay on station for a looong time too. There's 7 of them currently operating. They're also quite useful for lobbing a few Tomahawks around the place, etc. And if it comes to that I'm sure the surface fleet could dust off their books titled How to do ASW With a Frigate and Helo. So as a nation we're not completely incapable, ASW-wise. And I'm sure we can still sink a ship if we wanted to.

[Out Of Trim]

[QUOTE][http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/15/royal-navy-to-lose-anti-ship-missiles-and-be-left-only-with-guns//QUOTE]

WTF.. Have the MOD and our Naval Leaders lost their minds? Why do we need a gap? Can't the current missiles "Soldier On" for another three years then?

What the hell is the point of having a Warship without any damn weapons! What idiot ordered them to be taken out of service before their replacements are in place?

I really despair about how our So-called "Armed Services" are run these days. :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

I don't suppose anyone will have the decency to resign over this though of course! :mad::\

[PhilipG]

Thinking of Harpoons, I noticed that the USN P8s carry Harpoons, are there any views on what UK P8s will be armed with? Assuming they will be armed..

[Jimlad1]

You do realise the decision to not replace an obsolete missile system at its planned OSD was made by the Navy and not imposed on them? If they wanted a new system they could have found the funds from their delegated budget.

[Out Of Trim]

So, is there no oversight by HM Government or MOD on this Naval decision. It seems like very poor planning to me.

Hmm, let's remove an obsolete but working missile system and leave our ships vulnerable if they are called upon to go to sea in an unforeseen conflict. Not only that, but we will make an announcement to the world about how stupid we are. You might just as well leave them tied up alongside. In fact, I'm pretty sure I would not want to serve on a warship that had to venture out virtually unarmed.

It's a bit like the RAF removing the missiles from our QRA aircraft to save some money and saying "well it's still got a gun!" It is not only unwise, it's pretty damn stupid and someone with some oversight should be able to make sure it will not happen.

[Jimlad1]

How is renoving an obsolete missile that as others have noted elsewhere is of exceptionally limited utility, of a type that has never once been used in anger making us more vulnerable for the jobs we have to do.

The hysteria on display is astounding.

[Out Of Trim]

How do you know what job they may have to do in the near future?

We've never had to use Polaris or Trident in the past either, but we still keep them as a deterrent. We have announced to the world, that we won't have them available for 3 years. Furthermore, 1) if they not of any use, why did we have them in the first place? 2) If they are not really required, why are we replacing them in 2020? 3) Why do other Navies have similar missiles then?

In a potential conflict, an enemy ship could fire on our ships within range of their missiles and our ships would have no means of return fire until within Gunnery range. If they lasted that long!

The naivety on display is astounding.

[pr00ne]

Out of trim,

What is outstanding is your over active boys own imagination. jimLad makes sound and valid points on the value and use of a modern anti ship missile system such as Harpoon. The RAF took a similar call over Sea Eagle.

To compare Harpoon to Trident is juvenile clap trap of Daiy Fail proportions.

[glad rag]

So what would YOU suggest pr00ne?

A quiet little backscuttle towards an EU Navy, and while we're at it every thing else as well?

Your type make me sick.

[pr00ne]

I'd most probably suggest what the RN wants, you know, the folks who actually made this decision.

Not that I am the slightest bit interested in your opinion of me, but you have not the faintest idea what "type" I am.

[ozleckie]

Just out of interest....

Australia's first P8A arrived in Melbourne yesterday. Luck or forward planning?

[Mil-26Man]

Australia's first P8A arrived in Melbourne yesterday. Luck or forward planning?

I'm guessing the latter, as they would likely have planned for them to arrive when they ordered them...

[Out Of Trim]

prOOne,

Unfortunately your previous reputation here leads me to have not much confidence in what you think.

If you think that the Sea-Lords decision is admirable and in line with what they want; I can only feel you are living in some kind of fantasy world.

It is my belief that this decision abrogates their responsibility both to their service and indeed the Country. If you and others can't see this than I despair!

I'm sure glad I'm not serving in the Royal Navy. Keep calm and carry on. I hope this decision doesn't bite them on the arse!

[red admiral]

Those Harpoon missiles have nice big rocket motors on them which degrade over time due to the wonders of chemistry. Past their OSD they might do bad things, like spontaneously catch fire or explode - go ask DOSG. Really you're balancing the risk of that happening against the need to fire them at something in the next few years (whilst making sure they don't hit a cruise ship full of nuns)